Bill > SSB3171

This Study Bill, titled the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, establishes a higher standard for government actions that burden an individual's religious practices. It aims to restore the "compelling interest test," meaning that if a government action substantially burdens someone's sincerely held religious belief or practice, the government must prove that the action is necessary to achieve a compelling government interest and is the least restrictive way to do so. The bill defines "exercise of religion" broadly to include actions motivated by sincerely held religious beliefs, regardless of whether they are central to a faith, and defines "government" to encompass state and local entities. It allows individuals to use this standard as a claim or defense in legal proceedings and applies to all state and local laws, with an exemption for correctional facilities.